


Home

by YourLocalJarHead



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everyone will probably appear at some point XD, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I couldn’t resist XD, I have no regrets tho XD, It’s another AU were Rose gave herself up and Steven was raised on Homeworld!!, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, They’re also a mess but what else is new?? XD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourLocalJarHead/pseuds/YourLocalJarHead
Summary: After hearing Yellow was sending a Gem back to Earth, Steven sneaks off to the Galaxy Warp to explore his home planet for the day. Upon returning however, he finds the Warp broken and realises he is now stuck on Earth with no way of getting back until someone realises he’s gone...He’s going to be in so much trouble, but maybe he can make the most of it whilst it lasts...
Comments: 14
Kudos: 38





	1. Stuck on Earth

Steven poked his head out of his room in the palace, scanning the corridor to see if anyone was around. He’d overheard a conversation Yellow was having the other day, and had found out a Gem had been sent back to Earth. He had concluded that logically meant the Galaxy Warp to Earth must have been fixed, so Steven was trying to sneak out so he could go explore his home planet for the day. The Diamond’s would be furious if they found out, but that’s why he didn’t plan on getting caught. He’d also come up with a plethora of excuses, just in case. He’s sure it’ll be fine though. The plan was simple. He just had to sneak to Galaxy Warp in the palace, explore Earth, and then come back before anyone realises he’s gone! So, with one final check of the corridor Steven grabbed his backpack from beside him and bolted out the door. His small stature thankfully made it easy to hide behind the pillars littering the palace’s structure, at least one advantage of his small size. It was so much more convenient to find places to hide in, and that really _could_ come in handy when you’re trying to avoid being seen by a bunch of oversized toddlers. He snickered to himself at the comment, carrying on his quick, but careful trip to the Galaxy Warp.

Eventually, he made it undetected and he wasted no time excitedly scrabbling up the steps to the giant Warp Pad. He raised his arms out in front of him, willing it to bring him to Earth, and within a few moments he could hear the familiar chime of the Warp activating. He smiled as he finally relaxed, knowing _for now_ he hasn’t been caught, and _for now_ he can have some fun!

After a few seconds that seemed to drag on endlessly, Steven had made it to Earth! He walked off the Warp slowly, in awe of the location it had taken him to. It’d been _so long_ since he’d been to Earth, and normally if Blue took him, they’d take her ship instead. She hardly _ever_ let him do anything fun either, but— it was _so_ beautiful here. The ocean expanding endlessly around him, lapping against the cold marble floor of the Warp hub. It would be worth getting caught just to see this, but Steven still had so many other places he could visit. 

He let out a childish cheer nearly tripping down the steps in an excited rush to get to the smaller Warps. He kicked something as he ran, but was too caught up in his mission to pay it any mind. He wasted absolutely no time in warping as soon as his feet touched the cold blue stone of the first Warp he jumped onto. 

Steven’s day mostly went off with out a hitch. He’d spent the whole day running around and exploring Gem locations, some he’d seen before and some he hadn’t. He was quite content to let the Warp Pads take him wherever, _actually_ enjoying himself for the time in _ages_. It would’ve been perfect, had he not returned to a broken and destroyed Galaxy Warp. He laughed nervously, surveying the freshly destroyed bits of Warp in front of him.

“Oh stars.” He continued to chuckle to no one in particular, feeling his panic rise. “The Diamonds are going to kill me. I’m so screwed.” He bent down to inspect some of the rubble, picking up a small piece in his hand. He stared at it for a moment before he grimaced, chucking it back into the pile. 

“How did this even happen?” He continued to wonder out loud, brushing some of the rubble to the side with one hand. “I thought Yellow said—....” he paused, musings drifting off as something interesting caught his gaze. It had been buried by the rubble, so he reached over to pick it up, shaking some smaller shards off of it as he did so. It looked like... a mirror? And it was just sat there? That added a whole different layer of intrigue to this mystery. How did a random mirror even end up here?

Steven hummed to himself as he inspected it. It looked like the glass was still mostly intact, but there was some sort of cracked stone on the black. He traced his hand over it delicately. It almost looked like... another Gem? 

As if he hadn’t already caused enough trouble, he decided to see if this really was a Gem and pulled hard on the stone. The Diamonds didn’t like it when he tried to help other Gems. Apparently it was ‘beneath him’ or something. But if this really is a Gem, then she doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a mirror for the rest of eternity! That’s just unfair! If _he had_ the power and authority to _help_ people, then _surely_ it was his duty to, right—?

His thoughts were cut off as the stone popped out, and he flinched surprised by the mirror shattering loudly. A few seconds passed before his guesses were confirmed, the gemstone rising into the air as it took form. Her gem was on her back and she was facing away from him, but it looked badly cracked. Steven’s resolved hardened and he licked his hand, reaching out to heal her gemstone. The Diamonds didn’t need to be upset about what they didn’t know.

Steven watched as her gem sparkled, relevead as it healed. A pair of water wings sprouted from her back, and after a moment she turned to face him stunned.

“You... you actually helped me.” She said stumbling a little. He reached out to help steady her, the rubble around them certainly not helping. “Thank you.”  
“It’s okay.” He replied offering her a warm smile before letting go of her hands. “I’m— I’m Steven...! I—it’s nice to meet you.”  
“Yeah, I’m Lapis... Lapis Lazuli.”  
“Cool! I’ve never met a Lapis before.”  
“I’ve never met a ‘Steven’ before.” She smiled slightly, but it faltered as she hesitated. 

“Are you a— a Crystal Gem?” Steven panicked for a moment, wondering were she got that idea from.  
“No, no.” He said shaking his hands in front of him quickly. “I’m, err— I’m stuck here too! Someone broke the Galaxy Warp and now I can’t get back.” Lapis scowled.  
“I bet _that_ was those Crystal Gems. They _knew_ I was in there and they _never_ helped me. Did they even wonder who I used to be?” She question furiously.  
“That’s horrible.” He commented, not sure what to make of this. Yellow had told him that there were no more Gems left on Earth, but Lapis was acting as if _they_ were still around. It— it didn’t make any sense. That was such an odd thing to lie about.

“Erm... if you you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up in that mirror, Lapis?” He asked after a moment.  
“It was thousands of years ago.” she started, water rising around them dramatically. “I was only meant to visit Earth for a short amount of time. But I got caught in the middle of a war. It was awful— I tried to run, but—...,” she cut off, the water displaying broken images of another Gem proofing her. Steven barely suppressed a flinch as he clutched at his shirt.

“I was picked up by a Homeworld soldier and confused for a Crystal Gem— and _used_ as a tool. They’d ask me— ‘show us your base? Where is your leader?’ But I _didn’t_ know— and I couldn’t say I wasn’t one of them! ...It soon became clear there was no hope in stopping the rebellion. All of the Homeworld Gems fled. In all the panic of escaping Earth— I was left behind... And there I stayed, freedom in my sight, but out of reach for ages, until I was found—!” The water receded, pooling back into the ocean and Lapis fell forward, Steven struggling to catch her again. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, a little panicked.  
“I will be...” she replied.  
“I— I’m so sorry that happened to you...” he told her quietly, disheartened by her tale as the words of the Diamonds rang in his head.  
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault, Steven. You _saved_ me!” He ignored the latter comment, because technically it was his fault. _He had_ her _Gem_. Lapis looked up to the evening sky longingly. “I just... want to go home.”  
“To Homeworld?”  
“Yes! I’ve been trapped here for long enough.” She flapped her wings, almost experimentally as she turned to face Steven. “Will you be okay here?”  
“Oh, me? Y—Yeah! They’ve, err— they’ve been doing some check-ups here on Earth. The Warp should be fixed soon, or someone will show up another way, so I’m sure I’ll be fine! Th—thank you though.” He answered plastering on a somewhat fake smile. Whilst Lapis’ concern touched him, he knew he would be fine _as long_ as he was here. When he inevitably returned, the Diamond’s were going to furious with him, and he’s not sure he’ll be able to get away with it anymore. 

“Okay! Bye, Steven.” She waved.  
“Bye, Lapis. I hope you get to Homeworld alright.” He waved back.  
“Thanks!” She replied staring to fly off. “I hope someone gets you off this miserable planet soon!” She called back to him from below. Steven chuckled nervously, watching her go until she was just another speck in the evening sky. Suddenly feeling a little more lonely, he walked away from the debris, flopping down onto one of the other, slightly less broken Warp Pads. He sighed, scuffing the floor distantly with his foot. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this... 

It’s great that he gets to spend some extra time on Earth, but he’s not sure how fun it’ll be with the looming threat of the Diamonds hanging over his head. They’re going to be _so_ mad at him. They’re _always_ mad at him for something! It’s like they don’t even know how to have fun— and, did they lie to him? Why had Lapis seemed so sure the Crystal Gems had been here recently? There were supposed to be no more Gems here. Yellow had told him— and why would they have just left Lapis there all alone? It was _their_ fault in the first place, wasn’t it? It was all his _mother’s_ fault, but at least _he’d_ had the decency to help—

He realised his heartbeat was starting to pick up. He was starting to panic. He was going to cause a scene at this rate— _he should_ know better.

He forced his tense hands to relax, and tried to take a deep breath. He’d be _fine_. He could deal with the Diamonds when he returned, and he can deal with their lies and the possibility the Crystal Gems still being around when it comes to it. It’s not like he’s _not_ used stuff like this. For now he should probably just find somewhere better to sleep. It was almost completely dark.

He sat there for a few more seconds before sighing, forcing himself to his feet as he headed to the working Warp Pad, trying to focus on were to go instead of the giant mess he’d made. Eventually he settled on the giant battlefield he ended up in earlier. If he remembered correctly, it was filled with fruit so he’d have something to eat at least.

He warped there swiftly, and wasted no time in trying to find somewhere suitable to sleep once he arrived. He walked around for a while, almost aimlessly as he scanned his surroundings, eventually settling down by one of the cliff sides. It wasn’t as dirty as the other side of the battlefield, and also wasn’t full of giant Gem weapons. Hopefully it would be a bit more sheltered beside the cliff as well, so it would do for now. It would _have_ too. 

Steven settled down in the area he chose, glad he packed a spare pair of clothes so he didn’t have to sleep in his stupid Diamond outfit. He didn’t have many other clothes because the Diamonds expected him to wear _his mother’s_ outfit all the time. But, he did have what he presumed were a pair normal human clothes. A star shirt, some jeans, and another pair of human shoes. He’s not sure where he got them from, but he sure is glad he packed them just in case! If he did some more exploring around Earth, it might even help him blend in with the other humans! He— he could be normal for once...!

After changing, Steven laid down fully and stared up at the night sky. The first stars were just starting to emerge, the sky a dark blue almost black. It’s been _so long_ since Steven had last been here, he’d nearly forgotten how beautiful the Earth could be. Nothing could compare to this on Homeworld. He’s pretty sure you can see Homeworld’s galaxy from Earth, but he’s not sure he’d be able to point it out specifically. From here— from so far away, everything just looked small and insignificant. Even Homeworld. 

He took a deep breath, taking one more look at the sky before closing his eyes. He drifted of to sleep a lot quicker than he expected, finding he slept peacefully for the first time in a while because.... even if it wouldn’t last long, for now _he was_ home...

And that was enough....


	2. The Lion in the Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven continues to explore Earth, and ends up in a desert where he meets a possible new friend...

Steven blinked his eyes open blearily, greeted by a vast expanse of blue. He stared at it for a moment, before he shot up panicking as he tried to figure out were he was. He looked around a few times, blinking frantically as he tried to wake up properly before it suddenly hit him. He was stuck on Earth. Of course! How could he forget? 

He let out a small, slightly relieved chuckled as he flopped back down onto the floor. He had nothing pressing to do, and no one telling him what to do... so what was stopping him from lying here, and staring at the sky for a little longer? 

Eventually, his hunger forced him to rise, and he headed back to the main part of the battle field. It had been completely covered in fruit of varying sizes, so he was trying to find one of the smaller bushes. Thankfully it didn’t take too long, because there were so many. The fruit was nice and a welcome change from the fruit he always had from the human zoo, even if they were kinda similar. He took a seat beside the bush, munching on them as he tried to decide what to do for the rest of the day. He’d explored this place pretty throughly yesterday, so he didn’t really want to hang around here all day with nothing to do. 

By the time he’d finished, he’d decided to go and check up on the Galaxy Warp, which upon arrival was still broken. He wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not, so he left quickly warping to another random Gem location. He wondered if Lapis had made it to Homeworld yet, and if she was okay...

The Warp chiming as he arrived at his new destination cut his thoughts short. He looked around, observing his surroundings. It looked like he was in desert, so there wasn’t really much around him, but Steven decided to explore it anyway. It’s not everyday you get to explore Earth, so he just had to make sure he didn’t stray too far from the Warp Pad. It would suck even more if he got stuck out here too!

So with a slight pep in his step despite the seemingly desolate desert, Steven headed off to begin exploring again. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been wandering around in the empty, vast space, but eventually he started to see something approaching on the horizon. He startled unsure of wether it was a threat or not. Where it had even come from? He lifted an arm, ready to summon his shield and continued to approach the the being carefully. Once he got close enough, he could see some sort of pink animal standing in the sand, watching him with glowing eyes. He eyed it suspiciously, still not sure wether it would attack or not. They stared at each other for a few more seconds before it yawned loudly, showing off a set of sharp, jagged teeth and then promptly flopped to the floor. He tensed at the action, but relaxed again quickly once he realised it was just lying there. 

“Erm... hi.” He greeted the creature, following it’s example and sitting cross-legged beside it. “I’m Steven.” It huffed in response, almost fondly. The Diamonds would call him silly for talking to _another_ organic creatures who _clearly_ couldn’t understand him, but he liked this one. He felt like it understood him, and he’d only known it for like a minute. Besides, the Diamonds were still on Homeworld being boring, so who even cared? He could do what _he_ liked!

“What are you?” He asked him, admiring it’s odd pink fur and bushy mane. “You kinda look like a cat, right? A big cat... maybe...— a Lion?” He flicked his ears in response, and Steven took that as conformation. “Yeah! That’s right! Lion!” He chuckled childishly, moving to sit on his knees so he could bend down to meet Lion’s face. “You wanna be friends, Lion?” He asked as he reached out a hand to pet him, hesitating briefly before giving him a gentle pat. Lion stretched his head back out to his hand in response, clearly asking for more pats. Steven chuckled again, happily obliging to Lion’s demands. They sat there for a while enjoying each other’s company, before he decided it was getting too hot out here in the desert. He stood up pulling away from Lion who followed suit nuzzling into his hand again, clearly wanting more attention. He chuckled at the action but it was half-hearted because he was pretty sure that he’d gotten lost despite his caution. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Do you know where the Warp is, Lion?” He asked after a moment, turning down to look at his new friend. “I managed to loose it somehow, but I need it to get back! I’m so stupi—!” Steven cut off, his ramblings interrupted by Lion knocking his feet out from under him. He landed on the animals back with a gentle thud. He struggled for a minute, trying to sit up before looking down at him in confusion. “Lion? What are you—?” He was suddenly cut of again by Lion roaring loudly, creating a swirly blue portal of some sort. He jumped through it, leaving the two in a strange vortex. He admired it in awe, but it only lasted for a moments as Lion roared again, creating an exit portal. Steven unprepared for the sudden landing fell of his back with another loud thud, but chuckled in amazement despite it. He sat up quickly, completely unfazed.

“You’re a magic lion!” He cheered. “That’s _way_ cooler!” He pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a little. “Where are we?” He asked wandering over to Lion. It looked like they were on top of a cliff, overlooking a beach. You could see for miles from here, the ocean glistening warmly in the afternoon sun. Looking behind him, Steven could see a load of small structures, running along for miles. They ended on the beach side, a long piece of wood running between them, as if to separate the beach from the town—!

“Oh my stars!” He exclaimed with barely contained excitement, as he was hit with sudden clarity. “Lion! You took us to a human town! I’ve never _even_ been to a human town—This is _so_ cool!” He turned around, starting to head down the cliff before he paused. If the Diamonds found out he’d been here...

But, they didn’t need to know, right? Technically there’s no feasible way he could be here without a Warp, and they didn’t _necessarily_ need to know he had a magic lion who could make portals so...

It’d be fine, right? Yeah. He’s sure it’ll fine.

“Come on, Lion.” He called, trying to replace his anxiety with his previous excitement. “Let’s go explore, together!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proof read another chapter whilst listening to the season 4 soundtrack! I’m not usually one for instrumentals, but I feel like they’re such a big part of this show, and every one of them is so good! My SU playlist is like constantly playing, I may have a problem XDD
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I wonder where Lion took Steven...
> 
> And up next!: Whilst wandering the beach, Steven meets a human, and maybe makes another new friend...


	3. That’s What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whilst wandering the beach, Steven meets a human, and maybe makes another new friend...

Steven had spent a small amount of time admiring some human shops, and was now happily walking along the beach. Lion had gone to sleep a while ago, but he didn’t mind. He was quite content staring out into the ocean, humming to himself as the waves lapped rhythmically against the shore. After a few more minutes of walking, something caught his eye.

There was a human girl sat on the bottom of the cliff. Her skin was dark, and she had long, wavy hair. She was wearing a white button up shirt, and blue-grey jean shorts. She also had on a pair of pretty, round glasses. If he remembered correctly, sometimes humans needed them because they couldn’t see properly, but they kind of reminded him of the screens some Gems wore on Homeworld. It looked like she was reading something.

Steven blushed, glancing back to the ocean as he realised he’d been staring for _way_ too long. He just hadn’t seen any other humans for so long... — well, except for all the humans he’d seen on the broad walk like five minutes ago... But he’s pretty sure he’d been unintentionally staring at them too. How embarrassing! Where were his manners? He was so rude! How incredibly stupid of hi—!

Steven thoughts were interrupted by a loud shrieking noise that shook the ground violently. He turned around to face the girl who looked just as shocked, but his attention was quickly taken by a piece of cliff falling away above her. He panicked, rushing forward as he pushed her out the way. A pink bubble encased them as they fell to the floor, the rock smashing into pieces around them. Steven dispelled it quickly, trying not to panic as he helped the girl back up.

“Erm... hi.” He smiled at her, nervously rubbing the back of his head. “I— I’m Steven. Are you okay?”   
“Y-yeah. I think so.” She responded, looking around. “I’m Connie...” She paused for a moment, seeming unsure before her eyes settled back on Steven.

“What was that?” She asked, hesitant but curious.   
“Oh, err, that?” He repeated, not sure how to answer. “I’m, err— I’m kind of magic—?” He blurted, before internally facepalming. Great job, Universe. Go and tell that to every human you meet and see what they think. Stars, would the Diamonds think if they saw _him_ fraternising with _humans_ —

“That was you?” She asked him shocked, pulling him away from his thoughts. Guess there’s no going back now.  
“Yeah. Here look, I can summon a shield too.” He demonstrated, summoning his mother’s shield. The Diamonds _hated_ her shield because it held the symbol of the rebellion, but Connie seemed to like it. “I can do some other stuff too, I guess.” He finished shrugging nonchalantly.  
“That’s amazing! How does it work?” She asked intrigued. Was Steven really about to tell this random human about Gems?   
“Well... my mum was part of this alien race, called Gems,” yes, he supposed he was. He lifted his shirt for a brief second exposing his Gem to prove his point. “And she had a baby with my dad so, I’m like half human. I haven’t been to Earth for ages, though!”  
“Really? How come?” She asked. Steven cringed.  
“My mum was like, one of the leaders of their home planet, but she caused _a lot_ of trouble—“ like having a child— “so the other leaders are pretty strict with me now. I’m not even really supposed to be here. I snuck off, and then got stuck here.” He told her, suddenly wondering if the Peridot was still here or not. Maybe he should check the Kindergartens later...

“You’re stuck on Earth?” Connie asked after a moment.  
“Yeah.” He sighed, before cheering up a little. “But, at least it gives me some time to explore, right?”  
“I guess.” Connie chuckled a little, rubbing her arm. “You know my parents are kind of like that too. They have so many stupid rules for me to follow all the time, and my whole life is practically planned out for me! It’s infuriating!”  
“I know right!” He exclaimed throwing his hands up for emphasised, surprised but glad he could share his frustrations with someone.

“They’re always like, ‘it’s just cause’ we know what’s best’, or whatever.” She continued shaking her head.  
“Exactly! You know, I’m kind of glad I’m stuck here. I can do whatever I want for bit— like meet cool humans like you!” Connie blushed, a little surprised by the compliment.  
“Cool?” She chuckled, shrugging. “I dunno. You’re _literally_ a magic prince stuck on Earth. That’s _pretty_ cool.”   
“You think so?” He asked just as shocked.  
“Yeah, you saved me!” She insisted, embarrassing Steven a little. 

They stared at each other for a moment awkwardly before he blurted, “Do you want to come with me?— To explore the town, I mean. I didn’t get very far because I got so excited by the beach...”  
“Well, I still have a while before I have to go home so... why not?” She agreed enthusiastically.   
“Awesome!” He cheered, grinning. “You can teach me about loads of cool human stuff! I haven’t been to Earth for _ages_ — and it was only to look at boring some Gem stuff, so I didn’t even get to see any humans!” He continued, starting to rant a little in his excitement. Connie chuckled, lightheartedly.  
“I’ve never been _off_ of Earth. What’s it like?” He hummed thinking.  
“Homeworld’s... odd. It’s cool to explore all the alien buildings and stuff, but there’s not really a lot there other than that. It’s nothing like Earth. Everything’s always changing, it’s fascinating.”  
“... Yeah, I guess it is...” she agreed, pondering his words. “Where would you like to go?” She asked as they approached the edge of the broad walk.  
“Anywhere!” He answered eagerly. “Do you live here? I’m sure you’d know where the best places are!”  
“Well, I’m not sure about that, bu—“  
“Ooh! I passed this one on the way! What is it?” He asked excitedly cutting her off as he pointed towards the shop on the very edge of the beach.  
“It’s a donut shop, Steven.” She paused upon his slightly confused look. “It’s like a place were you can go and buy human food, but donuts specifically in this case.”   
“Wow! I haven’t had human food for _ages_ — except for that fruit, but— this is so cool! Connie, can we go in?” He continued barely containing his excitement. She was baffled that despite him being _literally_ from _space_ , he was completely enamoured with the concept of a donut shop.

“Yeah, sure.” She agreed, only to be immediately dragged in Steven, startling the poor employees as he threw the door open a little too hard in his enthusiasm. Connie was a little shy, but thankfully he took up talking to the employees. Well, mostly just the girl, Saide. He spent a while meticulously examining the donuts before asking Connie if he could have one.

“I suppose I _could_ get you one.” She shrugged. “You _did_ save me from that rock.”  
“Don’t you want one?” He asked prying his eyes away from the glass to meet her’s.  
“My parents say I’m not allowed donuts.” She sighed.  
“What! Why?” He asked shocked.  
“They have trans fats.”   
“Well... they’re not here now, right? And they don’t _need_ to know you brought a donut, right? I mean, I’m stuck here without my— _the other’s_ permission, so what’s one donut?” They both stayed silent for a moment, staring at each other before Connie responded.

“Fine, Fine. You make a good point. I guess, _one_ donut wouldn’t hurt.”  
“Yeah, donuts!” He cheered in response causing her to laugh.   
“Okay, what do you want?” She asked, before relaying their order to Sadie who unfortunately had to put up with their antics. She didn’t seem to mind though, waving back to Steven as they headed out the door, ready to explore the rest of the broad walk.

“Oh my stars!” He commented star-eyed as he bit into his donut. “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” She chuckled as he proceeded to try and cram the rest of it into his mouth. She had to admit though, it _was_ pretty good, even if she wasn’t _really_ supposed to be eating it in the first place.

The rest of the broad walk was met with much the same enthusiasm from Steven, Connie easily getting swept up in his excitement. They kept up a friendly conversation most of the time, Connie often having to stop to explain things to him but she didn’t really mind. They were both having _so much_ fun, and maybe they’d both just made a _real_ friend...

Eventually, they ended up on the other side of the beach, Steven stopping for a while to admire the amusement park. It was another concept that seemingly fascinated him. He’d reacted similarly to the arcade, and she agreed they should go some time. She didn’t really play video games very often, but she’s sure it’d fun, and it’d be something new for the both of them!

Once he was done admiring the rides, they headed back to the beach on the park’s side, wandering around near the edge of the wooden panels it’s base was held up on. Everything was going fine until a load roar sounded around them, shaking the ground just like before. A few seconds later a large translucent monster burst out of the ocean, charging straight for them. Steven grabbed Connie close as he summoned his shield to defend against it. He pushed forward suddenly, knocking it off balance and using the chance to throw his shield at it. It cut through it’s form, the monster proofing into a cloud of smoke as an orange gem clattered to the floor. Steven stared at it shocked for a few moments before he snapped of it, rushing over to bubble it before it could reform.

“C—Connie.” He stuttered turning to her as he held the bubbled gem close. “Are you okay?”  
“Y—yeah! Thanks, Steven! You totally saved me again.” She smiled although she was still a little shaken. He turned back to face the bubble looking concerned. 

“What _was_ that thing?” She asked walking over to him.  
“I... I think it was another Gem, but—something’s wrong.” He answered after a moment, looking more concerned. “I’ve never seen something like— _this_ before.”   
“It’s a space mystery...” she murmured half to herself before placing her hand on Steven’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “Don’t worry Steven, we can figure it out together!” She insisted.  
“Really?” He asked surprised. “Even after it tried to attack you?”   
“Of course! Besides, I had you to help and... that’s what friends are for... right?”  
“Y-yeah.” Steven nodded encouraged. “Yeah, your right.” Suddenly, they were interrupted again but this time by the chime of Connie’s phone. 

“Oh shoot!” She said rummaging through her pockets. “My Dad’s calling me, I have to go!”   
“Okay, thanks for showing me around, Connie!” He smiled waving to her as she finally found her phone.   
“Bye, Steven!” She waved back before answering her phone, running back towards town. He watched her go with a small smile, only to be startled by Lion making an appearance.

“Ah! Lion!” He reprimanded staring at the pink animal. “Please, don’t scare me like that.” Lion just blinked at him, Steven sighed. “I guess you think I should go home too, huh? It _is_ getting late. I dunno what to do with this Gem though.” He told him as he reached out to pet Loin’s mane, surprised as his arm just phased straight through. He pulled it out startled, staring at Lion in shock. “Are you trying to tell me I can put things in your mane? Lion, that’s _so_ cool! Why don’t you ever tell me about these things you can do!” He chuckled before glancing down to them Gem. “I guess I’ll put you in here for now, then.” He said as he carefully put the bubble into Lion’s mane where it materialised alongside another, sitting dormant on an ancient tree, surrounded by an endless field of pink grass...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whilst writing this, I learnt that Funland is on the other side of town and the arcade isn’t even near it. No wonder Mr. Smiley is so tired, he must be constantly running around town because he’s so short staffed XD
> 
> Steven learnt about corruption! I wonder where that’ll go. Also, he and Connie could’ve hypothetically explored the other end of the beach, but someone put a fence there, and I’m not sure either of them are very keen to trespass on private property so...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> Up next: Steven and Connie want to go to the movies, but it seems that Lion has other plans...


	4. To the Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie want to go to the movies, but it seems that Lion has other plans...

Steven had been on Earth for a few days now, and despite the impending punishment he would have to face when he returned to Homeworld, he was having fun!

Today he was back at the beach town to see Connie. They were going to see a cool human movie about a dog who was a cop, and a helicopter! She had already spent a while explaining the lore to him, and what a cinema was. It was like a giant TV apparently but you had to pay to get in. Apparently the snacks there were really overpriced too, but that’s why they’d already prepared and brought some before hand! You weren’t really supposed to sneak snacks into the cinema according to Connie, but they’d hid them in Steven’s backpack so it would be fine!

“Wow! I can see why this one’s your favourite!” He smiled once the trailer she showed him had finished.  
“That’s right! In a world were humanity is pushed to brink, it turns out the most human of them all was a dog... copter.” She agreed as she dramatically recounted the plot.  
“And did you see where that missile came out of?” He asked barely suppressing a chuckle.  
“Yeah.” She chuckled, a small blush on her face. “I just hope it stays faithful to the books.” He nodded, before Connie continued. “How are we gonna get there? The movie theatres a bit far...”  
“Oh! I have the perfect solution for that!” Steven replied, grabbing her hand as he dragged her across the beach. She gasped as she spotted a giant pink lion sitting by the waves. 

“Lion!” He announced as Connie’s mouth fell agape.  
“You have a pet lion?” She questioned incredulously.  
“Well, he’s kind of like a pet,” Steven answered patting him on the head. “But he does his own thing a lot of the time. I found him in a desert, right before I met you.” He paused as he looked down, seeing Lion eating some magic lizard. “See,” he said pointing toward it, “who knows where that came from!”  
“Wow, Steven.” She sighed in response, hugging her arms. “Everything in your life is so awesome and magical. The most exciting thing in my life is tennis practice.” She bent over to pick up a stick, before demonstrating some tennis moves. “Forward! Backhand! Overhead death strike!”  
“Wow! Tennis is rad!” He said shocked.  
“Well... I made that last one up.” She admitted shrugging. Lion let out a large yawn beside them.

“I think Lion says we should hurry up and go to the movies!” He said glancing up at the animal. “Or, maybe he’s just yawning...” they stayed silent for a moment before he said again, “let’s go to the movies!” Lion bent over on all fours so they could climb onto his back, Steven helping an apprehensive Connie. They jolted shocked as Lion stood up and he chuckled lightly.

“Alright, let’s go!” He announced. Nothing happened... “Lion?” He questioned. “I want you to take us to the movies! Lion? You’re not listening to me.” He grumbled before turning around to Connie a little embarrassed. “He’s not very well trained, but neither am I so—,” he cut off surprised as Lion suddenly began running across the broad walk. They cheered, but were startled again as he suddenly changed direction, running back onto the beach towards the ocean.

“No, Lion don’t go in the ocean!” Steven yelled, but to no avail. They both prepared for impact, but were shocked when there was none. “Wait, Lion, you can walk on water? Why don’t you tell me you can do these things you do?” He questioned as Lion sped off, Connie giggling beside him. He joined in as Lion continued to rush along the ocean, admiring the views as fish swam around beneath them. They both chuckled as they passed by a boat of confused onlooking passengers, Steven waving hello as they laughed harder.

“Are you sure he knows where the movies are...?” Connie asked after a moment, a little nervous about how far out they are.  
“Maybe he knows a short cut?” He replied, unsure. Lion roared as if responding, creating a portal similar to the one that first brought him to the beach town. He jumped through, Connie clinging onto him shocked.

“Has he done this before?” She asked.  
“Only once, that’s how I got into town—,” he cut-off as they exited the portal, Lion skidding to the stop as he unintentionally threw them off. 

“Connie, are you okay?” He asked concerned as she brushed her slightly wet hair out her eyes.   
“That was so cool.” She replied readjusting her glasses. Lion grumbled above them, standing on a large platform raised above the water.   
“Lion, wait! Where are you going?” He asked as he chased after him, suddenly stopping as he looked around the structure. He clutched at his shirt subconsciously, barely noticing as Connie ran into him. “Mum...” he mumbled under his breath.

“Is this one of those magic Gem places you told me about?” She asked after a moment having taken it all in.  
“Yeah...” he nodded stepping onto the platform fully. It glowed pink, briefly flashing the symbol of the rebellion before fading, revealing a hand shaped platform. “I think—... I think this was my mum’s.”   
“Well, maybe Lion brought you here for a reason then.” She replied as she examined the platform.   
“Maybe,” Steven shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable over the topic of his mother and the rebellion. “But— I don’t want to be late for the movies. We might miss the commercials, or the previews, and we still need to find the perfect seats—!” without warning, Connie grabbed his hand and placed it onto the platform. The room glowed pink, flashing the symbol of the rebellion once again.

“I think it likes you.” She commented looking around.  
“I’m stuck!” He cried panicking, as he tried to pry away his hand. Connie tried to help him pull it off but with no success.  
“Wow, that really _is_ stuck. Maybe we need to chop it off!” She joked.  
“What?” He yelled shocked. Suddenly a slab lifted out the ground, revealing a group of swords. “No!” Steven yelled panicking again. They disappeared at his command.

“Wow!” She gasped. “How did you do that?”  
“I don’t know...” Steven responded still a little uncomfortable. He tried to think of something else to summon anyway. Despite living on Homeworld his entire life, he wasn’t very familiar their technology. The Diamonds didn’t really trust him with anything, and this wasn’t nearly as advanced as the stuff back there. He probably wouldn’t be able to work it either way...

“Anything?” He asked opening his eyes.  
“No...” she replied sounding disappointed before she suddenly had an idea. “What if I do this?” She asked poking his arm.  
“What are you doing?” He asked as she grabbed his ear.   
“Maybe if I do this!” She said poking him in the stomach. He laughed.  
“Wait, stop I’m ticklish!” He pleaded, only to get poked more. “Wait, stop! Stop!” He tried again, still laughing. “I’m gonna pee!” Suddenly, a ring of armour appeared around them.   
“Wow. Look at all this armour!” Connie smiled, spinning around to see it all.  
“Press my nose! Press my nose!” He laughed.   
“Boop.” She said as she poked his nose. He laughed again, and this time a trio of cannons appeared. She pinched his cheeks and then some axes appeared. They discovered some chain maces and a giant penny too. They continued to laugh, questioning the worth of a giant penny, before Connie quieted. 

“This is great, but... I feel like _I’m_ not supposed to be here...” she admitted nervously.  
“I don’t think I’m supposed be here either.” He agreed looking away. “I shouldn’t even be on _Earth_ , let alone looking at my _mum’s_ stuff— but, Connie I want _you_ to be here! I mean, _Lion_ wants us to be _here_ , but— I want to be with you at the movies! I wanna see loads of explosions!” He told her rambling slightly, although it seemed to comfort Connie a little. Suddenly, the room dulled back to grey, and Steven’s hand was released as the platform receded. A large grey stone like golem emerged from the floor.

“Should we be worried?” She asked.  
“Erm... Lion doesn’t seem worried!” He answered hopefully, but suddenly a large ball of lightning started forming out of one of it’s mouths.

“Run!” He yelled as it shot at them. It rotated, following him, but Steven was more concerned about Connie. He called out to her, hoping they could meet back up, but the golem had other plans.   
“Steven, look out!” She called as it sent a ball of ice at him. He summoned his shield, but it froze a little, much like the ground underneath him. 

“Steven, what should we do?” She called, concerned as the creature suddenly rounded on her. Steven panicked, trying to leap over the ice but ended up slipping anyway. He watched as Connie dodged two of it’s fire attacks, and he ran over to grab her. He formed his bubble around them as it attacked again, but it broke on impact and they both fell to the floor.

“Ugh... my bubble.” He grumbled, looking up to meet Lion’s face. He gasped. “Lion! Get us out of here! Lion, please!” He cried. The pink animal stared at them for a moment before bending down, allowing them to frantically hop onto his back. Lion ran of just as the golem shot at them again, running in a semi-circle before creating another portal. They appeared at the movie theatre. 

“Oh, _now_ you take us to the movies!” Steven yelled frustrated. Lion just dumped them on the floor in response. Connie, touched a small scratch on her face, hissing in pain at the action. 

“Here Connie, I can help!” He offered panicking, reaching into his bag. “The juices aren’t that cold but—,”  
“It’s okay.” She reassured half-heartedly, taking it from him.  
“Should we... go in?” He asked after a moment.  
“No, it’s fine...” she answered, drawing her knees close to her chest. “Let’s just— forget about it...”  
“Connie, I’m sorry...” he said feeling bad about ruining their day. He didn’t know how he was supposed to fix it. “I got you roped into all my mum’s _stupid_ mistakes! I didn’t mean too, I just wanted to have fun, but I _ruined_ it! I don’t even know why you hang out with me, I mess stuff up like this _all_ the time!” He rambled, starting to get frustrated.  
“I don’t get why _you_ hang out with _me_! I’m so much less— interesting than you! And you clearly have some magic destiny! You’re like a space prince! I don’t know why you care about _silly_ things like Dogcopter...” she replied, also starting to get frustrated.   
“Dogcopter looks so cool!” He argued. “He’s a dog, and a helicopter and a cop! He shoots missiles out his but, and he’s gonna save the world! And it’s not like there’s Dogcopter’s on Homeworld! It important to me...” he trailed off, thinking of something else. Connie looked away.  
“ _I’m_ no Dogcopter...” she mumbled. Before Steven could respond, a ball of fire was shot from behind them. 

“What the—?” He questioned, running out from behind Lion.  
“Oh no!” She gasped.  
“It’s the robot shooty thingy! Lion, how do we beat it?” He asked frantically. Lion’s eyes and mane glowed as he bent down dramatically, the hilt of a sword appearing from his head.   
“I forgot I could do that...” he mumbled, having no time to contemplate how his mother’s sword ended up in Lion’s mane, and the following consequences. 

“It came through!” Connie cried, breaking him out of his trance. He glanced at Lion one more time before his attention was forced by the golem that was now damaged. It shooting wildly in all directions. A sign was knocked down in front of them.

“What should I do with this...?” He asked hesitating in his discomfort and panic, sword now in his shaky hands.  
“Steven look out!” Connie called in his response, lifting up the sword in his hands to deflect an attack from the robot. They smiled at each other briefly, before formulating a plan.

“Forehand!” They yelled deflecting one attack back at it.

“Backhand!” They called again, repeating the action.

“Overhead death strike!” They cheered, knocking a fire ball directly back into it’s opening. It heated up for a moment before it exploded into bits.

“Just like tennis practice...” Connie whispered star-eyed.  
“Magical destiny practice...” Steven corrected equally as impressed. He put the sword back into Lion’s mane and they walked over to the ticket booth cheerily, proud of their victory. 

“Hi!” Steven waved.  
“... Hi?” The worker responded seeming a little confused.  
“Two kids, and one Lion to go see Dogcopter, please.” He asked, glad he remembered how to do it right. Connie handed them the money and they received the tickets, finally able to go see Dogcopter. It was the perfect way to finish off their busy day, and the movie was great! Even if Connie did say they took some liberties from the book, they both enjoyed it!

He waved goodbye to her once again when her Dad came to pick her up. They were both still elated from the movie and their magical adventure, but Steven frowned a little once Connie left. He glanced at Lion remembering the sword and headed back to the beach with him, deep in thought....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now TV did not appreciate me constantly pausing, rewinding and exiting out of this episode whilst I was writing this it was absolutely was not vibing XD. I had no idea what to call the robot thing so I constantly referred to it as ‘stone thingy,’ and ‘tennis robot,’ in the draft XD
> 
> I wanted to get this up on like Monday, but I started college this week and when the weekend finally came around, I picked the worst time to proof read it as always XDD. I blame Warrior Cats for distracting me too much XD
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This one is pretty closely aligned with the actual episode, but it’s one of few!
> 
> Up next: Steven encounters another Gem monster, and decides to see if he can heal it...


	5. Distant Memories and Ensuing Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven encounters another Gem monster, and decides to see if he can heal it...

The Crystal Gems were fighting the Centipedels attempting to invade the temple. Although there were many, they were unable to locate the mother, the source of the infestation. 

Across the beach, _Steven_ was stuck with the mother, yelling from his bubble; “I’m not acid proof!” The Centipedle paid him no mind and continued her attack. He sighed, leaning on one foot as he released his bubble and shot up a few feet into the air, thankfully avoiding any of her acid spit. He summoned his shield again, throwing it from above. He was sure this would be a lot easier if Lion was around so he could use his mother sword instead. The thought of his mother’s sword, and Lion taking him to one of her secret basses sense him plummeting to the floor gracelessly. He sighed, loudly forcing himself up to bubble the Gem before it could reform.

He paused for a moment, staring at the bubble as he contemplated what do with it. Lion wasn’t around, but... 

Steven shouldered off his backpack, as he sat on the floor popping the bubble open in a daring move. He watched distantly as the Centipedle struggled to take form, feeling sympathetic for the Gem. He wanted to know what had happened to her. He wanted to know _so_ bad. Why had no one told him about this? 

The Centipedle reformed smaller this time, and started panicking immediately. Steven licked his hand, faltering. The Diamonds would be so _disappointed_ in him. He slapped the Centipedle’s Gem dismissing the thought, and ignoring the small amount of acid that dropped onto his hand. He licked it too, and then reached for his bag as he watched the Centipedle take a more a humanoid form. He thought it might just work, but of course, nothing was ever _that_ easy... was it?

The Gem started screeching, looking around frantically. 

“Hey, hey! It’s okay, Erm...” he hesitated as he tried to console it, deciding he was probably _way_ in over his head. “Would you like some...” he looked down at the first thing he pulled out of his bag. “Chaaps...? Do you _know_ how to eat? Can you even see with a Gem in your eye? Wow, I have so many questions!” He paused, shoving a couple of chips into his mouth before experimentally offering one to the Gem. She took it, and he ate a few more, hoping she would get the idea. After a few moments, the Gem hesitantly followed his example, and immediately seemed enthralled. Steven chuckled.

“You like that, huh?” He asked smiling. “Want some more?” He offered her the bag, glad he actually talked to Connie and formed somewhat of a plan before trying this. She took the Chaaps off him eagerly, finishing it off quickly as he chuckled again. He took the chance to rummage through his bag again, pulling out some paper and pens Connie had lent him. He scribbled out ‘Steven’ in messy lettering, showing it to Centipedle. 

“This is my name!” He smiled. “Steven. Can you tell me your name?” He asked offering her a pen and a piece of paper. She took it shakily, before she began writing, handing it back to him after a few moments. It was unintelligible to Steven. Of course! She’d probably written it in Gem! No one had ever really bothered to teach him Gem, so he couldn’t understand it expect for maybe a phrase or two. He stared at it, pondering for a moment before setting it aside, trying something on his own piece of paper. After a few moments of scribbling he held up a crude drawing of himself. 

“How about this?” He asked pointing to it. “Can you draw— draw your feelings? Or like, What—,” he hesitated looking away as he put the paper down. “... what happened?” She made some more odd sounds, but grabbed some of the paper and started scribbling again.

At first, it was just her on a ship, but then she added her crew. She was a commander! She showed him how she’d been ordered to Earth with a fleet of Gems. They built Gem structures and everything was fine until—... 

Steven’s breath caught in his throat. She drew the Gem war. Thousands of Gems being shattered beyond recognition. He clutched at his shirt as she continued.

At one point they were ordered to leave without explanation. Centi had been separated from her crew. They were _waiting_ for her. They were _all_ so _worried_. They didn’t know _why_ they were running. There was a light— a song! Centi stopped, grumbling sadly as she gripped the pen with a vice grip. Steven understood, he felt terrible about it too, but he _had_ to know!

“W—where did it come from?” He pleaded desperately. She drew three symbols. She was _crying_. It was _the Diamonds_. His stomach dropped.

“N—no, they would’ve— _how could_ they _do this_? How could _mum_ —,” he paused, jolted out his rant as she began coughing, spraying some acid onto the floor. She was regressing. He panicked trying to heal her again, but it didn’t work. She held up a piece of paper frantically in response. It was the drawing of her crew...

“You— you want to be with them...” He announced sadly, reaching for her hand to pull her up. Her form glitched, one of her arms shifting into a thin point like it was before. He started calling for Lion as he ran round the beach, stumbling into him after only a few moments of searching. It was if he _always_ knew when Steven needed help.

“Lion! You have to help me get Centi back to her ship! She needs to be with crew before she corrupts again! Please!” Lion obliged, as if knew how urgent this was, and didn’t hesitate to create a portal. He clung to Centi desperately as they went through. She was still struggling to keep hold of her humanoid form.

After what felt like forever, they skidded to a stop near an old drop ship. It was discoloured and covered in vines and plants in it’s age. Centipedle didn’t seem to care, though. She raced though over to it as soon as they spotted it, but promptly fell to the floor. Her form glitched again, returning to be more monster like as she made harsher gargled noises. He paused as she got up, still intent on getting to the ship, and he watched frozen as she struggle to pull of the infesting vines. 

“I can help!” He cried snapping back to action as rushed over, yanking away a wad of vines with significant effort. Centipedle tried to place her human hand on the access panel of the ship, but it glitched turning back into a thin point. She let out distressed cry, banging against the door as Steven reached for it himself. The door opened upon his touch and Centi threw herself through it, scuttling away quickly. He peered in, seeing a group of similar looking Gems. They started squawking at each other in a cheerful greeting. He watch them quietly as he clutched at his shirt again... They had been waiting for her, after _all_ this time... They _still_ remembered...

Centi nuzzled his arm in thanks before scurrying back to her crew. He was glad he was able to reunite them, but he _wished_ he could’ve done _more_ to help them... if the Diamonds really did this, then _surely_ it was _his_ responsibility to _fix it_. They would _never_ help him fix _anything_... and it was _his_ mother’s war too, so _he_ should figure out how to fix _the mess_ she’d left behind!

He sighed as he realised he’d left all his stuff lying on the beach. That probably _wasn’t_ a very good idea, but he panicked. He should probably leave before someone steals it, or something...

He waved goodbye to Centipedle and her crew, as he left the drop ship. Lion was waiting for him outside staring blankly, and Steven flopped onto his back a little sadly. Lion took his time returning to the beach, but they were there before long. He was still pondering over everything he’d discovered as he trudged back to the spot he’d left his backpack. He supposed that’s what the Diamonds meant when they said there were no more Gems left on Earth... They’d damaged them beyond recognition, even their _own_ soldiers... how _sick_ was that?

His hands were trembling as he stuffed the drawings into his bag. If they became a little wet with quiet tears, then no one needed to know. He left a drawing behind by accident, crumpling it under his foot. It was found much later by later by Amethyst who happened to be wondering along the beach. She stared at it, confused and shocked, but didn’t have too long to dwell on it as Pearl yelled something at her from outside the beach house. She couldn’t really hear due to a loud incessant ringing that was probably the Wailing Stone going off again, but yelled back an annoyed, “I’m coming,” despite the noise. She glanced at it one more time before stuffing it into her trouser pocket, rushing other to the other Gems. The small picture of a boy labelled ‘Steven’ felt like it was burning a hole through her pocket as she annoyed the Gems and Greg, and felt even heavier as they watched a disheveled Lapis Lazuli flickering on his TV...

“I hope you’re able to hear this, there’s a Gem that’s looking for you.....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note that Lapis didn’t directly address the message to Steven, because she’s worried the Crystal Gems are going to come after him too. They have no idea who this warning was meant for, but they certainly aren’t complaining XD
> 
> This chapter is a little late, because I’ve only been at school for like a week now and already have too much homework like??? How??? XDD
> 
> We’re starting to really get into the plot now, I’m quite excited for the next few chapters, so I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Up next: Steven is woken up by something exploding on the beach in middle of the night. He is not really prepared for anything that happens next...

**Author's Note:**

> I finally caved and got round to writing this, but then procrastinated proof reading it until we had a short power cut because of a storm XDD  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! 
> 
> Up next: Steven continues to explore Earth, and ends up in a desert where he meets a possible new friend...
> 
> ~YLJH AWAY!!


End file.
